Coincidence, or by Design?

Isn't it amazing how God works out circumstances to align us to His will? In David Jeremiah's message this morning, he told of being a teenager with a job at a hardware store. One day a customer paid him for a purchase, and, distracted by something, he put the money in his pocket until he could place it in the register. When he got home, he realized the $20 bill was still in his pocket. He started rationalizing how the proprietor had plenty of money, while he himself worked hard for low wages. He decided to keep the money.

Years later, after he had gotten into the ministry, he could bear the weight of guilt no longer, so he put $60 into an envelope, hoping that would allow for interest, and mailed it to the store anonymously. Still, his conscience bothered him for not apologizing. Then much later, he was speaking in a distant city where the hardware company he had worked for just happened to be holding a convention. As he looked out from the pulpit, he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his old boss. Making his way to him after the service, he said he needed to talk to him and invited him to his study.

"Do you remember ever having received an unmarked envelope with $60 in it?" he asked his former employer. When the man acknowledged the memory, David said, "Well, it was from me, because I stole $20 from you many years ago." He asked forgiveness as they embraced and wept. God had worked the circumstances out so that peace and healing could finally take place.

In today's television sermon, Dr. Jeremiah told of David's sin and deception in the Bible. God used Nathan the prophet to confront David and bring repentance and healing. In telling the story of the rich man who took the poor man's pet lamb and had it slaughtered, Brother Jeremiah said David was the rich man, the lamb was Bathsheba, and the neighbor was Uriah, whom David had sent to the heat of the battle and killed. When Nathan said, "Thou art the man," David had an opportunity to repent of his sin and restore fellowship with God.

In my husband's sermon this morning, he preached about Abraham's servant Eleazar, who was sent to get a bride for Isaac. Eleazar asked God for a sign that he would choose the right girl, the sign being that when the young women came to the well where he waited, one would give him a drink as he asked, then ask to water his camels, also. Sure enough, a beautiful young woman came to the well and filled her pitcher. When Eleazar asked her for a drink, she gave him one and then watered his camels, as well.

God let all these circumstances come into play that His greater will would be fulfilled: Rebekah would give birth to Jacob (Israel), through whom God would send the Savior. When Rebekah left home, her family blessed her that she might become the mother of "thousands of millions". Howard said that all that have come, and will come, into the Kingdom are part of these "thousands of millions". All a part of God's plan.